


AU: Pidge is Alice Roosevelt

by ElfGrove



Series: ShiroPidge Week 2016 [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Historical, F/M, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Fluff, Hawaiian Hunk (Voltron), Hunk/Shay cameo, Japanese Shiro (Voltron), No Lions, US Presidency
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-23
Updated: 2016-09-23
Packaged: 2018-08-16 19:07:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8114032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElfGrove/pseuds/ElfGrove
Summary: Historical AU re-imagining Katie Holt as the infamous Alice Roosevelt, daughter of US President Teddy Roosevelt during her 1905 diplomatic peace delegation to Hawaii, Japan, China, the Philippines, and Korea.ShiroPidge Week 2016 -Day 3: Alternate Universe





	

**Author's Note:**

> I blame twitter and tumblr conversations with @osheamobile for encouraging this particular plot bunny. [[link](http://elfgrove.tumblr.com/post/149396075928)]  
> Please note that this is not fully researched and thought out; it is first and foremost just a fun proof of concept done for ShiroPidge Week.

She swept into the room again, a sheaf of papers in hand. “In hand” was too gentle a description actually. A sheaf of papers brandished dangerously above her head, already being shaken in time to the tirade– impassioned speech they were surely about to be subjected to. 

“Have you been smoking again,” Sam Holt asked, cutting his daughter off before she had the opportunity to get rolling.

Katie Holt, who was often known by her rather infamous nickname of Pidge, put her hands to her hips and raised an annoyed eyebrow in response, “So what if I have?”

“Just trying to keep up with what questions to expect at the next press conference, Pigeon.”

“They should have better things to do with their time than gossip about whether or not I smoke cigarettes.”

“They should,” Her father agreed. “And yet these muckrakers insist on putting a great deal of effort into talking about your personal life.”

“Anyways, I came in here to talk to you about something important.”

“Is it more or less important than that thing you were in here about an hour ago,” Matt teased.

She stuck a tongue out at her elder brother, “It depends on which group’s priorities you’re addressing at the moment.”

“We’re trying to do some serious planning, Pidge.”

“I know.” She turned back on their father, “This is the studies on that technological proposal I was telling you about last week. I think if you push it through the house floor for funding, we could see…”

“I’ll look at it later,” Sam Holt patted an empty spot on his desk. “Matt and I are working on proposals for government mandated parks for conservation efforts right now, and I have a meeting with Secretary Iverson in three hours.”

“But this could…”

“Katie,” Sam interrupted. “Later. I promise.”

She huffed, but turned and left the room, taking the papers with her.

Matt rolled his eyes at their father, sitting back in his chair with a loud thump, “I love Katie, but I’m ready to throw her out a window on days like this, Dad. Can’t you do something about her?”

Sam Holt smiled indulgently from his seat behind the hulking oak desk in the Oval Office, “I can be President of the United States, or I can control Pidge. I cannot possibly do both.”

* * *

“Are you certain, Katie?” Sam put his hands on both of her shoulders. “This is going to be a very long voyage, and I know you and Secretary Iverson are contentious at the best of times. You’re looking at spending months on cruises and attending ambassadorial functions together.”

Katie dragged fingers through her bangs, blowing out a long breath, “I can manage the Secretary of War, Father. Besides, can you imagine letting that warmonger handle this delegation without me?”

Sam Holt chuckled, “I don’t know why I ever doubt you, my bird.”

“You’re my father. Worrying is part of the job.” She smiled, “Really, it’s not like it’s just us. There are several statesmen and their wives coming as well.”

“True enough,” Matt smiled warmly. “Congressman McCain is coming too.”

“Lance?”

“Yep.”

“You intentionally set that up just to annoy me.”

“Lance and you are good friends.”

“In small doses! You’re confining us on a ship together for months. I’ll murder him.”

“Have fun, Sis.”

“Ugh.”

* * *

“And of course, he’s flirting with half the ladies on the ship,” Katie sighed in annoyance. She’d been looking for a break from all of the proper manners and from the arguments with Secretary Iverson, but her friendly oasis apparently had other plans for the evening.

“Is everything alright, Miss Holt?”

She looked up to find a handsome, dark-skinned, broad-shouldered man standing nearby, hands cautiously folded behind him.

She straightened up from where she was leaning too far over a railing, “Perfectly fine. I was going to go chat with an old friend of mine, but it seems he’s otherwise occupied.”

The man stepped forward to stand next to her at the railing, bright eyes scanning the milling crowd below, “Congressman Lance McCain?”

She laughed, “The very person.”

“He’s,” The man hesitated, eyeing her sideways. “A very popular gentleman.”

She snorted, “Lance McCain fancies himself a prince of fashion and a ladies’ man. Thank goodness I know him far too well to fall for any of it.”

“You’re not offended by his habits?”

“Offended?” Katie laughed again, “Goodness no! I’d worry something was wrong if the fool acted any other way. Does he offend you?”

“I think,” The man looked back down at Lance, brow furrowing. “I think Congressman McCain is a better man than he plays at being, and it is rather difficult to weather the discrepancy between his behavior and his meaningful actions.”

She laughed again, deciding she liked this fellow immensely, “Well! If you haven’t got anything nice to say about Lance, come sit next to me, Mr.?”

“Hokuaonani Garrett. I joined the delegation at Honolulu.” He smiled warmly, settling in next to her clearly more comfortable now. “And you are the infamous Miss Katherine Holt, daughter of President Holt.”

“Guilty as charged,” She smiled conspiratorially. “I’ve been told my specialty is detached malevolence. I think we shall make fine friends, Mr. Garrett.”

“I suspect so as well, Miss Holt.”

“My friends call me Pidge.”

“Hunk.”

* * *

She’d always been impressed by the artifacts of Japanese culture she’d been exposed to. Beautifully complex writing, rich fabrics, delicate embroidery, each piece of pottery and furniture a work of art. It was a shame the people themselves were so reserved in action. They were as beautiful as their artifacts, but their behavior was possibly even more fenced in by society than her own would demand of her if she were anyone’s idea of a proper young lady. She wondered if they only behaved this way in front of strangers or in such a formal situation, and were more free in less restrictive circumstances.

Probably. It was a shame, as she would badly like to make bosom friends of some of them.

The band of the America Friendship Society took up a new tune, and people started pairing off to dance with some enthusiasm. Perhaps things would be more fun soon. She stifled a laugh when the Princess Shay politely declined Lance’s request for a dance. The incorrigible man moved on unperturbed, dancing with the daughter of one of the generals as if he’d never been rejected in his life.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when someone cleared their throat next to her. She had thought she’d managed to slip off to a corner to watch the merriment unnoticed. She looked up, then up again. A tall and handsome young Japanese man peered down at her, his mouth cautiously quirked up at one side. Was the sneaking up on her a joke? Oh, she hoped so. If he had a good sense of humor, she might make a close friend out of this leg of the trip as well.

She smirked up at him, wordlessly encouraging his amusement, and was rewarded with his lips spreading into a full grin.

Despite the smile being a new expression on his face for her eyes, she recognized him as the son of one of the generals she’d met earlier today, “Mr. Shirogane, how fares your evening so far?”

“Quite well,” His eyes seemed to sparkle with mirth when she felt her chest relax to learn he spoke English. So many of the interactions today had had to be filtered through a translator, making everything take twice as long as it should have. Her relief must have shown one her face. “Although, I will admit I am quite exhausted of sitting and standing still all day. I am eager for some exercise. Would you be so kind as to favor me with a dance, Princess Holt?”

“Only if you promise to never call me Princess again,” She placed her hand in his, and squeezed enthusiastically. “While I am the daughter of the President, we don’t have princesses in America. I’m just Miss Holt.”

His face warmed with fondness and he began to lead the way onto the dance floor, “I think my confusion is understandable, Miss Holt. Your papers so often refer to you as Princess Katie.”

She spun with him into the first steps of the dance as they joined the crowd and laughed heartily, “Oh no! You’ve read what those horrible gossips have to say about me! You must think me a dreadful woman!”

“Energetic,” He countered. “And interesting.”

“‘Interesting’,” She repeated. “And what of yourself, Mr. Shirogane? What am I to make of you?”

“I hope to be interesting as well,” He chuckled. “I have successfully petitioned to serve as one of the ambassadors of Nippon to your country, Miss Holt, and I would very much like to have a friendly acquaintance for the long trip ahead.”

“You wish an ally on the journey, and choose to pursue the most notorious character you can find?” He spun her, and she laughed again, squeezing his arm and shoulder to remain on her feet, “That is certainly a sufficiently interesting introduction. Call me Katie or Pidge, and I think we can manage that.”

He leaned in closer, and she found herself blushing slightly at the nearness of his fine features, sharp eyes, and velvet black hair, “Only if you will agree to call me Shiro, Katie.”

* * *

She stood on the deck railing, looking out over the pool on the main deck below them. Some of the children of the delegation and their Japanese guests happily played together in it, escaping the heat and playing silly games, with no care for either propriety or language barriers.

“It looks so comfortable in that pool, I am sorely tempted to go in, just as I am,” Lance declared cheerily.

“Go on then,” Katie encouraged him. “It’s dreadfully hot out, and there is nothing of better interest to do just now. Perhaps you will gain the eye of a Princess after all.”

“You saw that,” He grimaced.

“Of course I did.”

He smiled and shook his head pointing his chin at a small side table across the deck, “I have quite abandoned that pursuit. Princess Shay has expressed her preferences quite clearly enough.”

Katie followed the direction of his words to see Hunk and Shay sharing a teapot and cakes over the small table, conversing intimately. “How sweet they are. Perhaps you’ll have better luck when we next stop in Korea.”

“We shall see if I ever find such a beauty before my eyes again.”

She elbowed him sharply, “If I were a vain woman, I’d be insulted, Lance.”

“Thankfully not.” He grinned down at her, “You cause quite enough commotion without being vain as well.”

“I thought you were going to jump into the pool,” She responded archly. “Do you need a push to screw your courage up?”

“An idle thought,” He waved a hand dismissively. “I’m too old to be jumping into pools like a whelp.”

“Killjoy,” She teased.

“What a horrible accusation,” A voice came from behind them. “What have you done, Congressman McCain, to be accused of destroying a woman’s joy?”

“You mustn’t indulge Pidge’s ideas of joy, Ambassador Shirogane,” Lance laughed. “You’ll find yourself a laughing stock before much time passes.”

“Shiro,” She exclaimed with a smile as she turned to him. “We were just discussing how unbearable this heat is.”

“Good Afternoon, Katie,” He bowed slightly, raising a questioning eyebrow. “It is very hot out, but I’m not certain what there is to be done about it, save taking cold drinks. Surely Lance has not denied you that relief?”

“Oh no,” Lance exclaimed. “Reasonable solutions like that don’t entertain **_this_** woman.”

She was glad Shiro had immediately fallen in with her collection of close friends, although she was still working to break the beautiful man of some of his formalness. His smile when she could bring his mischievous side forward was quickly becoming her greatest delight.

“Oh that won’t satisfy me at all.” She spoke casually, carefully watching Shiro’s face for reactions, “I’m thinking of taking the wisdom of youth and simply go jump into the pool for reprieve.”

She gestured to the small gate in the balcony that was occasionally opened so the bathing-suit-clad youths could jump from the upper balcony into the pool with delighted yells.

Shiro’s eyes slowly widened as he took in the purpose of the gate before looking back to her. Was that a blush on his cheeks? “Shouldn’t you be headed to change then?”

She shot him her most devilish smile, “What a waste of time. I’m just going straight in. Will you join me?”’

That was definitely a blush on Shiro’s face now, and Lance was bent nearly in half where he leaned on the bannister trying not to laugh at the exchange.

She slipped off her watch and shoes, piling them with her jewelry and delicate silk handkerchief then shoving them into Lance’s hands.

“With me or in my dust,” She teased.

“I’ll take the dust and my dignity intact,” Lance snorted.

“Shiro?”

“I… Uh…”

“Ah, the lone paladin of my crusade against the heat,” She said in a joking tone and stepped over to the gate, opening it even as others began to take note of what she was up to. People began to turn, to warn her against her plan. She shot another mischievous look to Shiro before leaping from the balcony into the cool embrace of the pool, fully clothed in a long linen skirt and shirtwaist.

She surged back up to the surface of the water as people stared and yelled. She was sure she caught the flash of cameras going off as she pushed her soaked hair out of her face. The younger folk already in the pool whooped and cheered at her. The older folk outside of it were chattering disapprovingly, and she ignored whatever they had to say. She’d heard similar complaints thousands of times before.

She turned in the water to look back up at Shiro and Lance. Lance was laughing and raised her accessories in an unspoken excuse. Shiro was staring at her with a somewhat shell-shocked expression.

“You’re missing out,” She waved up to them. “It’s refreshing!”

Shiro’s expression broke then, the mischievous smile slipping out as he looked back at her. He turned to Lance, saying something she couldn’t hear, and then he was toeing off his shoes, and shoving his tie and waistcoat into Lance’s arms.

She swam back slightly, arching an eyebrow in challenge. He stepped forward, placing his hands on the bannister to either side of the gate and taking a deep breath before launching himself forward. There was a splash when he hit the water and he surged back up to the surface in front of her. She laughed as he pushed his disheveled hair out of his eyes, and grinned down at her.

“You’re right. Very refreshing.”

She kept laughing, and his arms came around her waist, pulling her up in the water so she had to lean over him, letting water drip from her hair into his face.

“I’m usually right,” She grinned.

“Is that so?” He tuned a circle in the pool, both of them dipping up and down in the water with the movement. “I’ll have to see if that’s true.”

“And what do you think I am?”

“Exciting.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“And beautiful.”

* * *

Matt put his hand to his forehead, laying down across the couch and grimacing, “He’s asking Dad what?”

“Formal permission to court me with intent to marry.” She sat on her brother’s stomach, “There’s some traditions that are important to him to observe.”

“He’s older than you!”

“He can keep up with me. Do you have any idea how rare that is?”

“Believe me,” Matt groused. “I know. But you met him on a diplomatic mission. He’ll have to go back home eventually.”

“That’s something we’ll figure out if this works.” She sighed, “I know it’s complicated, but I think it could really work out, you know.”

Matt sighed in exasperation, “You don’t even speak Japanese!”

“Have you  ** _seen_** him?” Katie snorted dismissively, “I'll  ** _learn_**.”


End file.
